In the first four articles of this series, I described four types of doctors and five corresponding kinds of patients so that you could see the importance and challenge of finding a doctor who fits your needs. In this final article, I will help you to figure out which kind of patient you are and offer some tools for finding a physician who best matches your needs…

Physicians are as varied as good cheeses but that doesn’t mean they are all just to your taste. As I described in the first article of this series, physicians can be grouped into four types:

Each type has unique communication, decision-making, and patient-interaction styles. In the real world, doctors don’t fit neatly into a particular grouping: Most are a bit of one type and two bits of another. And of course, preference for a male or female doctor can also influence your choices. Still, it helps to know what the types are so that you can at least begin to narrow down your ideal match.

To do that, however, you need a sense of the type of patient you are or may be representing (parent, child, friend, etc.). To help you better define your role, I’m going to ask you to examine (hey, doctors like to examine things) 4 things:

1 - What you think a doctor’s role should be2 - What kind of participation you like3 - How much emotional support you want4 - Your views about the balance between art and science in medicine.

The following are five descriptions of patient types. Take a look at each to decide which one most closely mirrors you (or the patient you’re representing).

Patient Types

1. Passive-DependentYou prefer that the doctor makes the health-care decisions, setting up a course of action. Trusting of the medical profession, you believe most doctors know best. And you’re not interested in understanding or analyzing the risks and benefits of diagnostic or treatment options, or in making shared decisions. You just want to follow whatever plan the doctor creates. And you view medicine as more science than art.

2. Independent-SkepticalYou want an arms-length relationship with your physician. Skepticism about expert advice comes naturally to you. You tend to form and rely on your own opinions after learning about the options. Expecting to have the final say in decisions about your health, you’re unlikely to accept the advice of others. Still, it’s not unlike you to seek second or third opinions. Emotional support is not what you’re after. Instead you want treatment recommendations you regard as rational or consistent with your world-view, knowledge and experience. You view medicine as more art than science.

3. Intellectual-ResearcherEager to understand the science behind diagnostic and therapeutic choices, you research health conditions online or in journals and expect to participate in decisions. You examine doctor qualifications and ask for references, and you prefer a doctor who practices in a prestigious health-care institution. Stimulated by participation in the diagnostic and therapeutic process, you intellectualize your health condition. Emotional support isn’t what you’re after: You want to understand the risks and benefits of each option. In your eyes, medicine is more science than art.

4. Expedient-FlexibleYou’re not concerned about building a long-term relationship with your physician, and besides, you tend to have only episodic health needs. You figure that one physician is about as good as another, especially one who is available right when you need him or her. You are cost-conscious, and are therefore unlikely to choose a physician based on prestige. You’re unconcerned about whether you see a doctor at a clinic or a hospital. Emotional support isn’t your priority either. You have little curiosity about the health-care process or analysis of the risks and benefits driving decisions. You may have grown up seeing doctors in a clinic-type setting.

5. Open-minded-ExploringYou’re seeking a more personal connection with your physician and related health providers, including alternative practitioners. You see health care as a partnership between doctor and patient. You prefer a doctor who won’t rush through your appointments and who is open to alternative approaches and therapies. You see emotional support as an integral part of approaching all of the needs of the patient. You’re interested in alternative and non-traditional medicine and appreciate the spiritual dimension of healing. You view medicine as more art than science.

Which Doctor will Pair Best with Me?By now, you have probably recognized yourself (or your family member) among the five patient types. Each type is likely to be most compatible with one or two of the four doctor types. Compatibility does not ensure that outcomes will improve, but it may lead to better communication and less conflict. The suggested matches are:

Test Your TV Doctor IQMost of us avoid going to the doctor. Perhaps we'd enjoy it more if real-life physicians looked and acted like our favorite small-screen healers. Quirky, endearing and sometimes just plain hot, these are the TV docs we want to show up in our examining room. But do you know who's who? Give yourself a check-up with this TV doctor quiz.

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